R.C. Sproul

The best thing I can do is to place myself under the discipline of somebody else. If you have struggled to be disciplined in studying sacred Scripture, then let me suggest to you that you get in a class. Get in Bible study fellowship or a group like that where you're engaged in a regular process of Bible study.

The best thing I can do is to place myself under the discipline of somebody else. If you have struggled to be disciplined in studying sacred Scripture, then let me suggest to you that you get in a class. Get in Bible study fellowship or a group like that where you're engaged in a regular process of Bible study.

I would like to ask those who are present in the studio audience today, how many of you have read every single word that's printed in the Bible. Let me see your hands. All right, that's about half of the group that's assembled here.

I would like to ask those who are present in the studio audience today, how many of you have read every single word that's printed in the Bible. Let me see your hands. All right, that's about half of the group that's assembled here.

Now, let me just say to those who are listening on radio that the people who are assembled in this room today are people, for the most part, who have been Christians for years, and they're devout Christians, and they are people who come on a regular basis to these lectures because they're so much interested in adult Christian education, and yet only 50 percent of this group

Now, let me just say to those who are listening on radio that the people who are assembled in this room today are people, for the most part, who have been Christians for years, and they're devout Christians, and they are people who come on a regular basis to these lectures because they're so much interested in adult Christian education, and yet only 50 percent of this group

have completed the entire text of sacred Scripture. Now, I say that for a reason. Incidentally, in groups that I speak to around the country, this percentage that we have here today is extremely high. The overwhelming majority of Christians who have been Christians for 10 years have never completed the entire reading of sacred Scripture. And I want to ask the question this morning, why?

have completed the entire text of sacred Scripture. Now, I say that for a reason. Incidentally, in groups that I speak to around the country, this percentage that we have here today is extremely high. The overwhelming majority of Christians who have been Christians for 10 years have never completed the entire reading of sacred Scripture. And I want to ask the question this morning, why?

Why would that be? You would think that we would take to the Scripture like a duck takes to water. I mean, if we believe that the Bible is the Word of God, how would we want to go another day of God? Well, I think that the biggest reason many of us fail to complete the reading of the entire Scriptures is how we go about it in the first place.

Why would that be? You would think that we would take to the Scripture like a duck takes to water. I mean, if we believe that the Bible is the Word of God, how would we want to go another day of God? Well, I think that the biggest reason many of us fail to complete the reading of the entire Scriptures is how we go about it in the first place.

Most people endeavor to read the Bible initially from cover to cover. And they start with good intentions with the book of Genesis. And there's a basic familiarity, at least with some of the stories and narratives that are found in Genesis. And Genesis, by the way, is basically narrative. It tells us historical events.

Most people endeavor to read the Bible initially from cover to cover. And they start with good intentions with the book of Genesis. And there's a basic familiarity, at least with some of the stories and narratives that are found in Genesis. And Genesis, by the way, is basically narrative. It tells us historical events.

It tells us stories about people like ourselves, about the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, about the drama of the life and the trials of Joseph, for example. It's like reading a novel. It's very gripping, absorbing, and interesting. And then we move from Genesis into Exodus. And again, the flavor of narrative and drama continues.

It tells us stories about people like ourselves, about the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, about the drama of the life and the trials of Joseph, for example. It's like reading a novel. It's very gripping, absorbing, and interesting. And then we move from Genesis into Exodus. And again, the flavor of narrative and drama continues.

And we've all seen the movie The Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston playing Moses. So we have a basic familiarity with the conflict between Pharaoh and Moses and the children of Israel and so on. That's part of the fabric of our cultural history. And so there's a certain familiarity. And we read that and we're comfortable.

And we've all seen the movie The Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston playing Moses. So we have a basic familiarity with the conflict between Pharaoh and Moses and the children of Israel and so on. That's part of the fabric of our cultural history. And so there's a certain familiarity. And we read that and we're comfortable.

And then all of a sudden, as soon as we finish Exodus, we run smack dab into Leviticus. And Leviticus goes over and over these minute laws about the dietary regulations and the prescriptions for Hebrew worship in the desert and so on, things that are completely foreign to us, and it is frankly tedious reading.

And then all of a sudden, as soon as we finish Exodus, we run smack dab into Leviticus. And Leviticus goes over and over these minute laws about the dietary regulations and the prescriptions for Hebrew worship in the desert and so on, things that are completely foreign to us, and it is frankly tedious reading.

Now, at the same time, I have to say, those details that are found in books like Leviticus and Numbers are extremely rich in how they point forward to the New Testament and to the coming of Christ. But for the person who's just beginning to read through the Scriptures, there is no framework, no skeleton to hang one's hat on to understand these things.

Now, at the same time, I have to say, those details that are found in books like Leviticus and Numbers are extremely rich in how they point forward to the New Testament and to the coming of Christ. But for the person who's just beginning to read through the Scriptures, there is no framework, no skeleton to hang one's hat on to understand these things.